5'5" super middleweight Laura "Lady Ram" Ramsey was born Laura Alysia Ramsey on November 13, 1969 in Lake Wales, Florida to Annie (a food service worker) and Henry Ramsey (a contractor).

She began her athletic career at age 6 in YMCA basketball and Little League softball. In 4th grade she began taking piano lessons. In the 5th grade she learned to play the flute-a-phone and learned how to ride a unicycle. By the 6th grade she graduated to playing clarinet and ukulele. Throughout middle and high school she was involved in many sports, including basketball, volleyball, softball, and track.

Laura's father died in the summer of 1986 and after this loss she became pregnant at age 16.  Due to graduate from high school in spring of 1987 and set to attend college on a basketball scholarship, Laura felt as though her life was crumbling (according to her bio as sent to WBAN), but with her best efforts she tried to keep a positive attitude and push forward through life’s struggles. As trials and tribulations would test her, she became more agitated - holding all inside and forming an inner drive and desire like that of a ram, thus leading to being referred to as “Lady Ram”.

Laura attended college on volleyball, basketball, and softball scholarships and she holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Organizational Management. After college she became employed by Doyle Baseball, a company that offers baseball and softball instruction. One year later, she worked for Florida’s Natural, a world-renowned citrus company, until 1997. From 1994 to 1996, she was involved in women’s national power lifting and semi-pro baseball.

Laura began boxing training in 1996 at Winter Haven Police Athletic League with Jack Leonard and Tony Morgan. In 1997, taking a “leap of faith”, she accepted a draft offer to play professionally in the Women’s Professional Fastpitch league on the Charlotte, North Carolina based team.

At the beginning of her second year of professional softball, she sustained a career-ending injury that left a plate and four screws in her left hand.  Upon returning to Florida, she began working with Polk County School Board and became involved in coaching volleyball, basketball, and softball at various local high schools.

In 1999 she briefly worked for UPS. Five months later she accepted
employment at Avon Park Youth Academy, a residential facility for the Department of Juvenile Justice. As of June 2006, she is Administrative Dean (acting assistant principal), and is state certified in Physical Education and Middle School Integrated Curriculum.

In 2001, she formed Lake Wales Boxing Team to help neighborhood teens focus their attention on something constructive. With no sheltered place to train, they met at a nearby park where a heavy bag was hung and other boxing equipment was pulled from the trunk of Ramsey’s car. After entering the Lake Wales Christmas parade Lady Ram decided to become officially registered with United States Amateur Boxing, the governing body of Olympic amateur boxing.

In January 2002, she competed in her first amateur bout - in St. Petersburg, Florida against Alexandra Maloy. Although the bout was close, "Lady Ram" won a points decision. It was at this time that she decided to train harder and take boxing more seriously.

Her next amateur bout was not until 2003, a year in which she captured several regional and national level championships including State Champ and Regional Champ.  In the 165-lb division at the 2003 Boxing USA National Championships in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Laura stopped Marissa Diaz of Lackawanna in the second round of their semifinal bout on July 11 and then won the division with an RSC-1 over Kimico Pugh of Camp Lejeune, NC on July 12. In the 165-lb division at the 2003 National Golden Gloves in Chicago, Illinois, Laura stopped Precious Hall of Hawaii by RSC-2 on August 7,  In the Women's Open 165-lb division. At the 2003 National Labor Day Ringside Championships in Kansas City, Missouri she defeated Akondaye Fountain of Texas to win her division. She went on to compete in two international competitions - to the USA vs. Russia Women's Dual Invitational (9-1-1) in September, losing to Natascha Ragosina of Kazhakstan, and to the 75-kg Senior Division of the 2003 Sweden Box Cup in Stockholm, Sweden on October 5, where she lost to Sweden's own Anna Laurel.  Her combined record for the year 2003 was 9-2-1. 

Approaching age 35, "Lady Ram" had to decide whether to remain as an amateur for a few more months or to turn professional. On the advice of former world champion boxer and kickboxer Bonnie Canino, Laura decided to turn pro. 

She made her pro debut on February 28, 2004 at the Seminole Casino in Coconut Creek, Florida.  Laura (158 lbs) won a four-round unanimous decision (40-36 x 3) over Jennifer Mancil (160 lbs) of Clewiston, Florida, who fell to 1-3 (0 KO's) with the loss.  

Laura was idle for the next year due to becoming a grandmother and starting a fitness center ... Lady Ram’ s Self-Enhancement Center.

Her second pro bout was on April 9, 2005 at Number One Shed in Hamilton, Bermuda, on a pro-am card against southpaw Teresa Perrozzi of Bermuda. Laura won a four-round unanimous decision and Perozzi fell to 2-2 with the loss.

Laura then traveled to Georgetown, Guyana, in July 2005 with co-promoter, “A Ring of Their Own” expecting to fight ranked Sharon Ward. But due to mysterious last minute changes by the Guyanese promoter, Laura instead fought Pamela London’s sister and pro debuter Pauline London, winning by a second-round TKO.

On August 19, 2005 at the Argosy Casino in Baton Rouge, Louisiana Laura (165 lbs) stepped into the ring with Yolanda Swindell of Houston, Texas and won a four-round split (40-36,39-37, 37-39) decision, dropping Swindell to 3-3-1 (2 KOs).

Sandell on the canvas vs Laura in October 2005
© Copyrighted photo by Sue TL Fox

All-female card promoter “A Ring of Their Own” then invited Laura (165 lbs) to fight “their” undefeated Asa Sandell (164 lbs) of Sweden on October 8, 2005 at Harrah's in Laughlin, Nevada.  Lady Ram again returned home undefeated (at 5-0) with a split (58-55,57-56,56-57) decision, dropping Sandell to 3-1-1

Laura vs. Shelley Burton
© Copyrighted photo taken by Mary Ann Owen

In November 2005,  “A Ring of Their Own” invited her to fight Shelley Burton of Kalispell, Montana for the  WIBA World Middleweight title at the Shaw Conference Centre in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Laura took the fight at 72 hours' notice, as a late replacement for Leatitia Robinson of Chicago.  After celebrating her 36th birthday two days before and with minimal bag work and no endurance training Laura (163 lbs) lost her first professional fight by a ten-round majority (97-93,97-93,95-95) decision to Burton (157½ lbs) who improved to 7-2-0. The bout was action-filled as Ramsey threw more power punches but Burton boxed and handed a tiring Ramsey her first loss as a pro, dropping her record to 5-1. (For more of Mary Ann Owen's photos of this fight and card, see MPEG/Photo Gallery #306 on the WBAN Records Member Site).

A fourth offer came from “A Ring of Their Own” to fight  Erin Toughill (5'10", 164 lbs) of at the Palladium in Hollywood, California on January 27, 2006. For the first time in her professional career, Lady Ram came to this fight at 167 lbs feeling complete with a trainer of 6 weeks. Although feeling prepared, she left with her second loss in two months - by a 59-55,59-55,58-56 unanimous decision, dropping her record to 5-2.  Toughill improved to 7-2-1 (0 KOs) with the win.

Erin Toughill vs Laura Ramsey in August 2006

On August 31, 2006 at Harvey's Lake Tahoe, Stateline, Nevada, Laura (160 lbs) avenged her earlier loss to Erin Toughill (158½ lbs) by scoring a spectacular TKO at 1:28 in the first round when she knocked Toughill through the ring ropes and onto a ringside table. The fight was called so that Toughill could be checked for a more serious injury than the cuts she sustained in her fall from the ring, whose ropes were unusually loose. Toughill fell (literally!) to 7-3-1 (0 KO's).

On January 6, 2007 at the Seminole Hard Rock Arena in Hollywood, Florida Laura  (168 lbs) KO'd then WBAN #1 ranked light heavyweight Ijeoma Egbunine (167 lbs) of Marietta, Georgia at 1:44 in the first round.  According to a ringside report at FightNews.com,  "Ramsey caught Egbunine with a vicious right hook for the first knockdown and Egbunine never recovered. She was knocked down two times more after a barrage of punches. It seemed that Egbunine didn’t know where she was after the second knockdown and Ramsey jumped all over her to end the fight. Referee Frank Santore stopped the fight as soon as Egbunine hit the canvas the third time."  Laura improved to 7-2-0 (3 KOs) with the win while Egbunine fell to 12-2-0 (8 KOs).

Laura was named WBAN's 2006 "Best Kept Secret" Pro Boxer in January 2007.

On January 20, 2007 at the Travellers Beach Hotel in Mombasa, Kenya, Laura (160 lbs)  TKO'd Kenya's Conjestina Achieng (159¾ lbs) at 1:13 in the sixth round of a scheduled 10-round GBU Middleweight title bout. Kenyan news sources reported that Ramsey dominated the fight from the beginning, and could have won it in the second round when she sent Achieng into the ropes. In the sixth, she unleashed a heavy combination of punches that saw a hapless Conjestina hit the canvas, gasping for breath, and the referee stopped the fight at the five count. Ramsey took the fight on short notice to fight Achieng in her home turf when Kimberly Harris canceled out after suffering an injury.  Achieng fell to 9-4-3 (4 KO's) with her third home loss to a visiting American.

On July 28, 2007 at Wanda Plaza in Shanghai, China, home standing Wang Ya Nan (159¾ lbs) of Shanghai defeated Laura (160 lbs) by a 10-round unanimous (97-93, 97-93 and 98-93) decision for the WIBA Middleweight title.  Wang improved her pro record to 4-0-0 (2 KOs).. 

On April 12, 2008 at the St.Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Florida, Laura (168¾ lbs) won a four-round unanimous decision over Alexandra Maloy (163¼.lbs). Ramon Aranda of 411mania.com reported, "Ramsey scored a lopsided four round decision over fellow super middleweight Alexandra Malloy. Ramsey pounded her opponent throughout the bout, even scoring a knockdown with a brutal right cross in the final round of the four rounder."  Ramsey improved her record to 9-3-0 (4 KOs) with this win.

On July 3, 2009 at Soccio Center in Langenhagen, Niedersachsen, Germany, Kazakh-born Natascha Ragosina (5'11½", 166 lbs) of Magdeburg, Germany won a 10-round (98-93,100-90,99-91) unanimous decision over Laura (164¼ lbs) defending the WBC and WBA Super Middleweight titles. Ragosina used her seven-inch height advantage to good effect, landing solidly to Ramsey's head throughout the bout. Ragosina advanced to 21-0 (12 KO's) with the win.

On September 11, 2010 at Fort Myers Stadium in Fort Myers, Florida, Gwendolyn O'Neil (200¾ lbs) of Guyana won an eight round unanimous decision over Laura Ramsey (186¾ lbs) for the WIBA Heavyweight title. O'Neil improved to 16-6-1 (7 KO's) while  Ramsey fell to 9-5 (4 KO's).

Even though she has no manager or trainer,  "Lady Ram" is focused and determined to fight as long as she is healthy.  As she prepares for her next opponent, she is also preparing for her exodus from competition inside the ring. In the planning stages of becoming a boxing promoter and manager, she will continue to train the amateurs on the Polk County Boxing Team and the pros at Lady Ram’s Self–Enhancement Center.

For inquiries about future fights, you can email her at ladyram10@hotmail.com.

Lady Ram would like to especially thank all those who have supported her thus far. Some of these people include Forde Rego (Bermuda), Tony Morgan (FL), Ivan (FL), Daniel Soto (FL), Bonnie Canino (FL), Bo Hill (FL), Oswaldo Garcia (FL), Gwen Lundy (FL) and Myra Hamilton (GA).

Other Laura Ramsey links

To check out fight reports, complete up-to-date boxing records, with huge digital photos you can go to the WBAN Records Member Site

Page last updated: Friday, 30 September 2011

WBAN Boxer Bio by Dee Williams

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